Important Tips for Choosing the Right Weight Loss Supplement

In addition to muscle building and sexual enhancement niches, weight loss supplements are among those products which encounter maximum difficulties when it’s about adulteration and false claims. However, it’s essential to remember that any products recognized as such signify only a small fraction of the market. Most manufacturers of weight loss supplements would never risk their hard-earned reputation just to make a few more bucks on a poor weight loss product. However, remembering the following points while making a purchase can be of a lot of help.

Safety is of Prime Importance

Don’t fail to research a product thoroughly before buying. A most common misconception about weight loss supplement industry is that it’s not under the regulation of the US FDA. The fact is that, the US FDA has the authority to regulate dietary and weight loss supplements and an entire segment of federal regulations exists that monitor their production process to make sure that those supplements are safe.

But, these regulations differ from prescription drugs, “conventional” foods and OTC (over-the-counter) medications. The FDA even regulates the claims that the manufacturers of dietary supplements make regarding the functions and health benefits of their products.

Reputable manufacturers of diet pills for weight loss have stringent quality control and assurance systems together with a full staff dedicated to ensure that the product has no adulteration or contamination of any kind, right from the time when raw constituents arrive in their facility to the moment the final product leaves it. This entire process costs money and therefore products from reputable firms are often more expensive than their unreliable competitors.

Natural is Typically Better

In general, constituents occurring in the nature tend to have less adverse effects than synthetic ingredients. However, it should be remembered that just because an ingredient is “natural” doesn’t mean necessarily that it’s safe. If a natural ingredient possesses the power of changing body’s system for good, it should have a potential to cause harm too. Both natural as well as synthetic ingredients of weight loss supplements can interfere with some particular medications, especially with blood thinners like warfarin sodium.

Overall safe natural constituents include:

Chromium Picolinate: This is a well-researched weight loss ingredient that’s been seen to have effects on metabolism of all the three macronutrients, viz. carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): CLA has been found to have two effects – reducing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass. It’s also combined sometimes with chromium picolinate for a synergistic action.

What to Avoid

Weight loss products consisting of ephedra should usually be avoided as this constituent is associated to heart attack, irregular heartbeats, seizures and in some rare cases, even sudden death.

Another substance to avoid is gamma-hydroxybutyrate acid (GHB) because it’s infamous for having dangerous side effects.

Some other ingredients too may give side effects but can be taken in moderation under the supervision of a physician, e.g. yohimbe, bitter orange, guar gum and germander. Before starting weight loss supplement with these ingredients, you should consult a qualified doctor about proper dosages and whether there are any health conditions that can be adversely affected due to consuming these ingredients.

Also remember that most doctors get little to no training for using dietary supplements and tend to warn against all of them. So, always ensure that you consult a doctor who has received proper training and knowledge on the subject.

There is no miracle pill for weight loss and most probably never will be. But proper use of weight loss supplements can increase and speed up the results of a diet and exercise program. All you need to do is a careful research through sites like Diet Plan Pros which offer comprehensive reviews of weight loss products.